This invention relates to a machine for scrubbing or shampooing rugs or carpeted floor surfaces, for scrubbing hard floor surfaces, or for waxing and polishing hard floor surfaces.
A variety of machines have been devised for cleaning rugs or carpets through the use of detergents generated and applied in the form of a dry foam in the path of shampooing brushes intended to work the foam into the pile to entrap the dirt held therein, with the foam and entrapped dirt then being extracted from the carpet surface through a vacuum pickup system. A disadvantage of some machines is that the cleaning medium and entrained dirt must be collected in a separate operation. This results in extra work, considerable wetting of the nap surface for more difficult removal of the dirt, and longer drying time.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved floor surface cleaning machine having the capability to shampoo and remove surface dirt from a carpet surface in one operation, to scrub and remove surface dirt from a hard floor surface in one operation, or to apply wax to and polish a floor surface in one operation.
A further object of this invention is to provide a floor surface cleaning machine having a cleaning solution foaming system within the machine and a pressurized foam dispensing system.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a rug cleaning machine having means for scrubbing the pile, removing the dirt from the pile, and lifting the pile to original position in one operation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a rug cleaning machine wherein the machine support and drive rollers function as squeegies to direct the cleaning foam and entrapped dirt toward the vacuum pickup nozzles.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a floor surface cleaning machine having an improved solution dispensing mechanism including means for forming a foam, means for effecting flow of the foam under pressure, and means for controlling the rate of flow of foam to the floor surface.
For accomplishing these objects, a machine according to the invention includes a housing having front and rear support and traction means, and power means for driving the traction means. One elongated brush means is disposed ahead of the front traction means to act on the floor surface, and the power drive means for the brush provides motion of the brush in a horizontal plane. The machine housing contains a cleaning medium supply and dispensing system including dispensing means at the front of the machine ahead of the brush. A collection system includes a collection tank associated with the housing, an elongated suction nozzle disposed behind said brush to pickup material from the floor surface, and an air pump having its suction side communicating with said collection tank. In more particularity, the invention includes a squeegee roller as the front traction with the suction nozzle disposed just ahead of the squeegee roller; a skirt depending from the housing defining an enclosure for the dispensing means, traction means, brush and suction nozzle; and said air pump discharging air into said enclosure.
The novel features and the advantages of the invention, as well as additional objects thereof, will be understood more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.